Fellow Saints—You’ve Been Recreated!

3rd Sunday of End Time, Saints Triumphant, 11/17/13
Isaiah 65:17-25


Fellow Saints—You’ve Been Recreated!
I. To live in God’s church
II. To live in God’s heaven


More people are doing more things to make themselves look better than ever before. In 2012 there were 14.6 million such procedures. And while the number of invasive plastic surgeries actually decreased, the number of minimally invasive procedures—hair removal, Botox injections, laser skin resurfacing, facial rejuvenations—rose more than 5%. And it wasn’t limited to women. More men than ever before are having such procedures done as well.

And why not? If you can afford it and you feel it’s important, go for it. Truth is, I’m sure we all have things about us that we’d like to change.

And it isn’t limited to the way we look. Given the opportunity, we might choose to change our education, our field of employment, our set of talents and abilities, and the location of our homes.

But before you consider what things you’d like to do to change yourself, let’s consider this great truth: Your God has already changed you in the most dramatic of ways. He has brought you from Satan’s kingdom into his kingdom by faith in Jesus. He has turned you from hell towards heaven. He has converted you 180 degrees.

And he did so with a purpose. He wants you to live with him today and forever.

On this Saints Triumphant Sunday we celebrate all those souls whom our God has called home to himself in heaven. But we also celebrate the truth that we will one day join them. And one day—the Last Day—our Lord Jesus will raise our bodies from the dead and glorify the bodies of every Christian so that they can enjoy eternal life with him.

That’s the reason our God has recreated us. God shared that truth with his people through his prophet Isaiah in these words before us this morning. Cosmetic surgery pales in comparison to what our God has already done for us and plans to do for us. Fellow saints—you’ve been recreated. Let’s see what for as we ponder God’s word together this morning.

Part I.

Have you ever heard someone declare that the God of the Old Testament was completely different from the God of the New Testament? Such people see God acting in wrath and vengeance in the Old Testament but in patience and kindness and love in the New Testament.

If you only read the first half of the Book of Isaiah, I could see how you might come to that conclusion. In the first 39 chapters God announces his judgments not only upon his faithless people, the Jews, but also on every nation around the Jews. In many cases he announces that an entire nation of people will be destroyed. And from ancient history we know that’s what happened.

But then you read the second half of the Book of Isaiah, the part from which our text is taken, and you see God acting in love and faithfulness toward his people. In this section we don’t hear a single word of judgment; instead, it’s all blessing. Listen again to what he said, “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.” Instead of the lives of men, women and children being cut short by war or other disasters, he speaks of people living out long lives. In Isaiah’s day a short lifespan was thought to be a sign of God’s displeasure. Here God foretells people living out extended lifespans.

And completely absent from this picture is any mention of God’s judgment on these people for their sins. Instead, we’re impressed with God’s patience and longsuffering. He allows them to live on and on seemingly undisturbed by any other nation, or any calamity.

In fact, he announces his blessing on their efforts to enjoy a stable and fruitful life. Listen again, “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune.” This was completely different from past Jewish history. So often his people failed to enjoy their homes and crops because of invading armies. But they had no one to blame but themselves. God allowed it to happen because of their stubborn refusal to listen to his word and obey it. But now we see God’s people enjoying their daily lives.

And here’s the reason why, “For they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.” Instead of living under God’s thundering judgment, they’re living under God’s gracious blessing. Instead of hearing God speak words of impending doom to them, they’re speaking words of heartfelt prayer to him. And he loves it! In fact, God so desires to bless them that he answers their prayers before the words have left their mouths. It’s such a peaceful, happy, harmonious situation!

So, just when and where and among whom does this peaceful, happy, harmonious situation exist? In the Church, the Holy Christian Church, and you’re in it. Fellow saints—you’ve been recreated to live in God’s Church.

So, when I first read those words of our text, did you recognize yourself? Maybe some of you did. Others likely wondered who and what were meant here. And with good reason. This is a rosy picture where never is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day. It almost sounds like heaven on earth. Exactly! Being in the Church now by faith in Jesus is as close to being in heaven on earth as there is. And you’re in it! You’re one of God’s saints! So why don’t our lives more closely resemble this description? I don’t know about you, but there are times I’m extremely dissatisfied. Happiness is fleeting at best and remote most of the time. We experience pain and sorrow and even death every day. So are these words mere wishful thinking? Not at all! They are absolutely true for you. What your God is describing here is the spiritual peace and security and happiness that are always yours in the Church as one of his saints. The outward circumstances of your life, no matter how harsh and painful, don’t change or affect that one bit. These blessings have all been won for you by your Savior, Jesus Christ. He paid for them on the cross with his blood. He redeemed you to be his own. By faith in him as your Savior you’re been recreated. Fellow saints—you’ve been recreated to live in God’s Church.

Part II.

The other day I was reading some blogs which contained descriptions of heaven by children. One child described heaven as being able to play all day. Another said you grow wings on your shoes and you get to fly around. Still another said first you meet God and then you meet Abraham Lincoln. We listen and smile.

But what is heaven like? Let’s listen to the description of the One who lives there. He told Isaiah, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create.” In more than one place in his word our God describes heaven after the Last Day as a new heaven and a new earth. Because he speaks that way in several places of his word, it’s not likely that he speaking figuratively. He’s referring literally to a new haven and a new earth.

And that only makes sense. As we confess in the Creed, we believe in the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. Our Lord will return, we will rise from the dead, and he will glorify our bodies. If we will have physical bodies, we’ll need a physical place to exist. Our God promises to take care of that for us. He’ll create and a new heaven and a new earth.

And here’s the difference between the old and the new, “The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” The Apostle John in his Revelation heard God state, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4). Heartache, failure and worry will not exist in heaven.

In their place will be joy, unending joy. The Lord describes it like this, “Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.” That almost sounds too good to be true. Can we only hope heaven will be that enjoyable?

Absolutely not! That’s not our hope; it’s our reality. That’s the reason our Savior took on flesh and blood and came to this earth. He came here to win a perfect, eternal existence for us. His death and resurrection made it a reality for us. He told us that he has gone there to prepare a place for us. The reason he gave us faith in him was to recreate us as his own. On the Last Day he will recreate us once again to live with him forever.

Fellow saints—you’ve been recreated to live in God’s heaven.

So if that’s the purpose for our existence, if that’s our eternal goal, then why do we focus on and fret over this life so much? It’s our nature—our sinful human nature. We forget the reason that our God has recreated us. And that’s why we gather together as his people on Sundays such as this—Saints Triumphant. We gather to focus on the eternal glory our Savior won for us and that our God has in store for us, unworthy though we are. And that not only makes our earthly troubles easier to bear, it fills us with inner peace and joy. You’ve been recreated to live in God’s Church and to live in his heaven. What a life! Amen.